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Card vs Card Comparison

Amex Platinum
vs
Bilt Mastercard.

Updated

Two cards, head-to-head. We break down earning rates, perks, transfer partners, and the real scenarios where each one wins.

American Express

Amex Platinum

Annual fee

$695

Points

Membership Rewards

Signup bonus

175K points after $8K in 6 months (highest published)

Top earning rates

  • →5x on flights booked direct or on Amex Travel
  • →5x on prepaid hotels on Amex Travel
  • →1x everywhere else (the weakest baseline of the premium cards)

Top perks

  • →$200 hotel credit (Fine Hotels + Resorts and Hotel Collection)
  • →$200 airline incidental credit
  • →$200 Uber credit
See Amex Platinum detailsarrow_forward

Wells Fargo

Bilt Mastercard

Annual fee

Free

Points

Bilt Rewards

Signup bonus

No signup bonus (by design)

Top earning rates

  • →1x on rent with no fees
  • →2x on travel
  • →3x on dining

Top perks

  • →Pay rent without fees (the headline benefit)
  • →Bilt transfer partners including American, United, and Hyatt
  • →Members-only Bilt events
See Bilt Mastercard detailsarrow_forward

The verdict

When each card wins.

Amex Platinum wins if

Pick this if you travel internationally a few times a year, stay at higher-end hotels, and will actually use the monthly credits.

Honest downside: Weak everyday earner. The $695 fee only pencils out if you use the credits, otherwise it is the most expensive card to carry.

Bilt Mastercard wins if

Pick this if you rent. Earning transferable points on rent is unique to this card.

Honest downside: Useless if you do not rent. Mediocre everyday earner otherwise.

At a glance

Side-by-side spec sheet.

SpecAmex PlatinumBilt Mastercard
Annual fee$695Free
Points currencyMembership RewardsBilt Rewards
Signup bonus175K pointsNo signup bonus (by design)
Top earn category5x on flights booked direct or on Amex Travel1x on rent with no fees
Second earn category5x on prepaid hotels on Amex Travel2x on travel
Third earn category1x everywhere else (the weakest baseline of the premium cards)3x on dining
Signature perk$200 hotel credit (Fine Hotels + Resorts and Hotel Collection)Pay rent without fees (the headline benefit)
IssuerAmerican ExpressWells Fargo

Questions

Frequently asked.

Which is better, Amex Platinum or Bilt Mastercard?

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Amex Platinum wins if you travel internationally a few times a year, stay at higher-end hotels, and will actually use the monthly credits. Bilt Mastercard wins if you rent. Earning transferable points on rent is unique to this card.

Can I have both the Amex Platinum and the Bilt Mastercard?

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Yes. These are issued by different banks (American Express and Wells Fargo), so they don't conflict on application rules. Many travelers carry both to stack the strongest benefits from each card's ecosystem.

Which has the higher annual fee, Amex Platinum or Bilt Mastercard?

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Amex Platinum has the higher annual fee at $695, compared to $0 for Bilt Mastercard. Whether the pricier card is worth the difference depends on which credits and perks you use each year.